March Burnout Takes a Negative Toll on Students' Mental Health

By Alex Newcomb

April 4, 2022

Many students are feeling burned out due to the long month of March. The five school weeks, with no breaks, are causing students to feel tired and overworked after following the short month of February.

After going from the shortest school month to the longest, students had to learn to adjust to the added school days and additional work.

Jenna Noguera, a student at Colonie High School said, “I feel like march burnout occurs because it’s the longest school month in the year, you have no days off, it's just constant five days a week of just learning and nobody wants to do that.”

Some students are often skipping school, and not showing up to classes due to feeling stressed and anxious. Other students say they have become lazier with completing assignments and put less effort in because of the amount of work given this month.

“I feel like this year it’s much harder because compared to freshman year we were used to the everyday hustle and bustle going on for years and then we had this bit of a break… so it just feels 10 times harder than what it would normally feel like,” said Noguera.

Isabelle Lewis, a student at Colonie High School said, “I do feel very strongly about this; I do have March burnout, as I have had every single year because it’s so stupid that we don’t have any days off.”

Students have different techniques to cope with March burnout. Noguera tries to do things that relax her. On the weekends she does all of her school work on one day, and on the other, she watches tv and crochets.

Lewis watches Netflix and TV more frequently than before. She also spends a lot of time under her bed sheets because of the cold weather.

With the musical taking place this month, students have had something to lift their spirits, but it made their schedule busier. Students are typically at school for 7 hours, but those who take part in the play aren’t able to leave until 10 PM. The cast and crew find it impossible to get work done, and it is tiring being in the same environment for so long.

Noguera is glad she participated in the play but wishes she had more time for other things.

During this month the weather has been colder than normal and gone from 60s to snowing. Students feel that it adds to the negativity of the situation, and makes things worse.

Allergies and colds have been circling due to the changes in weather and many kids are becoming distracted due to it. Classrooms are running out of tissues and having to use paper towels and toilet paper as a substitute for it.